Sean Roman At Juno Download

Review: The first compilation EP of Top Billin's "Nightrunners" series - a dedicated imprint for more disco-orientated releases from some of the world's most promising producers. Helsinki's Bright Shades nails it perfectly with the electro-Italo of "Brighter Tomorrow", while Galactik Nights use some almighty filtering to pep up the Chic-like bassline of "Sunshine". Vladrina's "Forester" is classic piano-house mixed with some Ableton'd vocal chops, while "Can You Feel The Dub" by Sir Nenis & JM takes its chord structures straight from an 80s movie montage (no bad thing) and Sean Roman rounds things off with the sultry nu-disco of "Lick".

Review: Having originally impressed with a string of drum and bass and hip-hop singles under the Mutt moniker, Toronto-based producer Sean Roman is now carving out a new career as a maker of unflinchingly hip, synth-heavy deep house. Following outings for Assembly and Hot Creations' Hot Waves spin-off, Roman pops up on Feast with two tracks that mine the fertile ground between touchy-feely deep house and synth-heavy nu-disco. Of the two, it's the Wolf + Lamb-ish "Bocuse" that most impresses, though the acid bleeps and autotune vocal cut-ups of "Moan" are formidably addictive. Remixers MANIK provide something for the garage heads with an acid house/UK funky smash-up, while fellow hipsters Waifs & Strays drop some sparkling house in a Futureboogie style.